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Explore Traditional Living on Jeju
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In the past, Jeju had a residential culture with subtle differences to the rest of Korea. Plenty of places still exist where you can step back in time and see how people used to live.
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- An Exploration of Traditional Living on JejuAn Exploration of <Traditional Living on Jeju>
If you’ve ever watched a Korea historical drama, you’ll have an idea of the types of houses Koreans used to live in. Hanok style buildings with their distinct roofs and hanji-covered walls are uniquely Korean. What you may not know is that Jeju has a residential culture of its own. Homesteads were built using the materials available to the islanders, and they have many features that helped those from years past survive Jeju’s unique environment. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main characteristics of traditional Jeju living spaces and introduce three places where you can see them.
Jeju residences were influenced by the materials available, the culture of the island, and the need for protection from frequent strong winds. Four main characteristics include the choga jip buildings, doldam stone walls, olle paths, and jeongnang gates. Here is a little bit more about each of these features.
The residential buildings on each property are called choga jip houses. The most distinctive part of these buildings is the thatched roof that is made from straw and tied down with rope in a checkered pattern, and the stone walls that are constructed from Jeju stone and insulated with soil. These houses provided residents with protection from the island’s wind and rain. Each residence would typically have two buildings, a larger one called angeori where the head of the family lived, and a smaller one called a bakgeori where the eldest son’s family would live. When the parents got old, they would move into the bakgeori, letting the younger generation live in the larger building.
Doldam can be literally translated to “stone wall.” These were built from the rocks found in the areas surrounding the property. It is said that the natural holes formed when piling the stone into walls lets air blow through, stopping the walls from collapsing due to wind pressure. The walls were used to define boundaries of land, and they are also used on olle paths (see below) to keep the interior space of a property private. A common type of doldam found on Jeju is a batdam, which refers to the stone walls that surround fields.
You may know of Olle Trails as the walking paths that circumnavigate the island. These tracks share a name with a specific type of path that ran from the main road to the interior of traditional Jeju residences. Olle had two main uses: they acted as a way to keep the interior of the property private and to protect choga jip houses from the strong Jeju winds.
Jeongnang is the name of the gates at the entrance of traditional properties. They are made from three long wooden logs that the homeowner can place between two frames on either side. People on Jeju didn’t use solid gates so they wouldn’t break in the wind. The arrangement of these logs communicated information about the homeowner’s location. If all three logs were unlatched from the frame, the owner was at home. If just one was placed across the gate with two left unlatched, the owner was out but nearby. If two logs were placed across the gate, the owner was further away, and the visitor should come back in the evening. All three logs being attached meant the owner had traveled further afield.
Jeju Folk Village in Pyoseon is a recreation of a traditional village. The park has different areas showcasing how mountain, hill country, and fishing villages would have looked in the 1890s. The entrance fee contributes to the village’s upkeep which means all the exhibits are in excellent condition. As there are many different scenes in the village, there are abundant opportunities to take photos unique to Jeju. Visitors can take part in experience programs at the village. Life programs include making tteok by crushing cooked rice with a giant mallet and carrying water in a traditional pot. There are also traditional games including jegichagi, which involves kicking a weighted shuttlecock-like toy in the air; paengichigi, which is a toy similar to a spinning top; and tuho, which is throwing arrows. Performances take place three times a day on Fridays and Saturdays (weather permitting) and there is a restaurant that sells Korean food.
Seongeup Folk Village’s history goes all the way back to 1423, and the area is as close as you’ll get to a real-life representation of a traditional Jeju village. Unlike Jeju Folk Village, people still live and work in parts of Seongeup Folk Village, which helps bring the experience to life. Beyond residential areas, you can see an inn, the village entrance gate, and the Confucian school. If you want to take your experience to the next level, you can book a night in one of several houses situated in the village. There are also several traditional experiences you can take part in around the village. A hanbok rental shop allows you to try on traditional Korean clothes. This costs KRW 15,000 for an hour and is a great way to make your pictures more authentic. There is also a shop that sells homemade soap and candles. You can even make your own if you reserve in advance. If you want to try Korean tea, there is a tea experience, which runs on Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Located just outside Seongeup Folk Village is Jeju Sulikneunjib, a small-scale brewer of traditional Jeju alcohol that is also a restaurant and café. The owners create millet-based drinks Gosorisul and Omegisul. This is different from more well-known Korean alcohol drinks like soju and makgeolli, which are made from rice. The reason millet was used is that the lack of fresh surface water on Jeju made it difficult to grow rice, meaning locals had to use other ingredients when brewing. Visitors who want to try the alcohol can order it by the bottle, or purchase a tasting menu. The tasting menu consists of four types of traditional Jeju food and three types of alcohol. If you want to go further, you can experience making nuruk, the first part of the alcohol brewing process. The café also sells coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
- Address: 4726 Jungsangandong-ro, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
- Contact: 064-787-5046
- Business Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Admission: Jeju Traditional Eating Experience KRW 15,000 / Coffee from KRW 3,000
- Website: http://www.jejugosorisul.com/index.php
- Notice
- 2020-09-09
- ※ Unauthorized use of the content above (text, photos and videos) is prohibited and subject to copyright by the Jeju Tourism Organization.